A Rose For Elena
by castingstarlight
Summary: One shot based after 6x11. The infamous Delena date :P I hope you enjoy it! R&R


**A/N: Guys I did a thing! I was so pumped after tonights episode that I went and wrote a one shot! I hope you like it! read and review :DD I love knowing what your guys's thoughts are. love you so much :* Thanks for taking the time out of your day to read my drabble 3**

**Disclaimer: I do not own tad, sigh.**

"Do I look okay?" Elena asked Caroline, as she nervously tugged on her curls. She was examining her appearance in her vanity mirror in their dorm room.

"You look amazing, Lena." Caroline said, sitting indian style on Elena's twin bed.

"Yes, but is it 'first date' material?" She asked nervously, finally turning to look at Caroline.

"It isn't really a first date."

"Yeah but it feels like that for me."

Caroline smiled slightly and stood up. "Lose the cardigan."

Elena shrugged the cardigan off, exposing a maroon dress that swept right above her knees.

"Leather is the way to go." She said grabbing her own black leather jacket and handed it to Elena. "He will be wearing leather, now you two will look like a real couple."

"I can't believe you're being so supportive." Elena said, sliding her arms through the sleeves.

"Well, call me a softy." Caroline said, trying to shrug the situation off.

"Well," Elena said, spinning. "What do you think?"

"It's perfect, Elena." She said beaming at her best friend. "He will love you."

Blush crept onto Elena's cheeks. "I think he already might."

"No he definitely already does." She laughed.

Elena pushed her hair behind her ear. "Is this really a good idea?"

"You feel something for him, Elena. You always have. That isn't something you should be ashamed of."

"I just…"

"We kill people, Elena. We have fangs and survive off blood, dating the 'wrong' boy is such a silly thing to worry about."

"You know, you're right. This is so trivial compared to everything. I'm sorry." Elena said apologetically, Caroline may have thought she was talking about vampires, but there was a hint of Liz in her tone.

"Now, what about some jewelry?" She offered.

"I don't know." Elena said, playing with her ring finger, where her ring used to be.

"We will talk to Liv about making a new one, asap, Elena. You'll have it by tomorrow, I wouldn't worry."

"I just… Bonnie made that one, you know? And now it's just gone."

Caroline sighed. "Yeah, I know."

Just then a knock came to the door.

"That's him." Elena said, her stomach doing flip-flops.

Caroline smiled and went to the door. She opened it and Damon stood, holding a single rose, he had on dark wash jeans, biker boots, and a charcoal button up with the sleeves pushed up under his leather jacket. He had even gotten a haircut. When he saw Elena a small smile crept onto his face. "Well hello beautiful."

"Gross." Caroline whispered, with a smile, she couldn't hide that she was pleased about the situation.

"Hush, Blondie, I'm looking at my girl."

Elena took a step toward him, as she looked at him under full lashes. "Hey."

"Hey." He said taking a step toward her, he outstretched his hand, offering her the single red rose.

"Thanks." She smiled, then frowned slightly glancing at the rose, then back at him. The flower was fake.

"I bet you're wondering about that." He said, the corner of his mouth raising in his award winning smirk.

"I was curious."

"Well, I figured, in light of everything… Knowing what I know, and completely disregarding that you don't remember any of it… even though this is our first date to you, and our one hundredth to me… I thought I'd give you something that is sure."

Elena looked at him, puzzled.

"I can't promise you a lot of things in this world, Elena. I died, and yesterday you could've too… I'm realizing more and more that us being vampires is supposed to make us eternal, but the situations it puts us in has been proving that that is just not the case."

Elena nodded, pressing her lips together.

"But I can promise you, that I will never stop caring about you, and protecting you. As sure as I am that that rose will never wilt, or die, I will never stop caring and trying to win your affections."

Elena smiled slightly. "When did you get so cheesy?"

"Four months in 90's prison." He said sternly. "Where my only job in life was to fight with Bon Bon and to dream about all the things I wish I could say to you."

Elena laughed quietly, her nose wrinkling.

"And this." He said referring to the rose. "Is one of the things I wanted to say, so… there."

"I love it." Elena said softly, holding it to her chest.

Damon looked down, sheepishly. "I'm glad."

"Care, can you put this in some water?"

"Lena, he literally just told you it was fake." Caroline said, looking concerned.

"Yeah, but I don't want to take any risks." Her eyes flashed at him. "I'm not quite ready to give this all up yet."

Caroline nodded and took the flower. "Have fun you two."

Damon offered Elena his arm and smiled, his award winning grin. "We intend to."

They made their way outside, and Damon opened the Camaro door for her.

"Where are we going?" She asked, sliding into the seat.

"That's a surprise."

"I asked you out." Elena said glancing at him as he entered the car. "Shouldn't I be picking where we go?"

"And risk ending up somewhere boring for our first big date, no way." He said charmingly.

Elena rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't have picked somewhere boring."

"You would've picked the grill."

Elena glanced at him. "Um… No…" She said, trying to play it off like he hadn't totally read her mind.

"Come on, Elena, I know you." He said with a smile. "Even if you don't remember that."

Elena looked down at her hands then and fiddled with her fingers.

"Sorry." He sighed. "I'll try not to bring it up."

"It's okay." Elena said looking up at him. "I don't want you to pretend to be something you aren't, or to feel something you don't. Just be real with me. That way I can do the same."

Damon nodded with a smile and moved his hand over the gearshift to take her delicate hand in his. He squeezed it encouragingly.

"So, where are we going?" Elena asked, smiling at his touch.

"Remember the night you said that you had some flashes of memory?"

"Yeah… the rain."

"That's where we're going."

"Damon I hope you aren't.."

"No, I'm not trying to stir up old memories." He chuckled sadly. "I've given up on that. But it's a place that will always be special to me, and you're special to me so I'd like to share it with you."

Elena nodded with a smile. "Yeah, I'd like that."

Damon carried a basket in one hand and had Elena's hand in his other, leading her onto a small dock on a lake, he sad down, and she followed.

"So this is it, huh?" She said looking around.

Damon nodded and opened the basket, producing some delectable looking sandwiches and a bottle of wine.

"It's beautiful." She said, the bridge behind them had beautiful Christmas lights and something about the place just felt right, like they were supposed to be there.

"Yeah, it's a great view." He said watching her, with a smile.

She turned to look at him and blushed, then looked down at her sandwich. "wow, this looks great." She brought it to her lips and bit in gently. "Wow, and it tastes even better." She gushed.

Damon chuckled with a smile. "You always loved my cooking."

"You made this?" She asked, in awe.

"Just because you can't cook doesn't mean that I can't." He smiled.

"Cocky." She said challenging him.

"Very much so." He smirked.

Elena laughed and took another bite.

He poured them both a glass of wine and then smiled. "I have something for you?"

"Is it more snarky comments, because I only prepared so many come backs?"

"No." He smiled pulling a small box from the basket.

Elena looked at him in shock, a piece of ham hanging out of her mouth before she sucked it in quickly. "Um… what is that?"

Damon chuckled and handed it to her. "Relax, and just open it."

Elena slowly opened the small velvet box, and inside there was a ring. It was dainty with a lapis lazuli stone in the center, and a few small diamonds along the side. "Wow… this is too much."

"It's your new daylight ring." He said with a smile.

She looked into his eyes. "This was so sweet."

Her heart beat sped up a bit as she picked it up out of the box and noticed an engraving on the inside, in small letters it said 'I promise –DS' and Elena swallowed hard.

Then it came back to her in a flood. The rain hitting her face, Damon in front of her, his teeth shinning under full beautiful lips. Water drenched them as if they stood under a waterfall. "_Come on, time to abandon ship."_

"Oh my god." She whispered aloud.

Damon looked at her, his eyes wide. "Elena?"

_"Promise me this is forever."_

_ "I promise."_

"Oh my god." Her hand flew to her mouth and a tear escaped her eye.

She could feel his hand take hers and pull them to his chest. She could feel his heartbeat under her fingers. And she could feel his mouth crash against hers. And she could feel the joy in her heart when he promised her forever.

"Elena, talk to me, are you okay?" He asked, his voice alarmed, his hands on her cheeks.

She finally looked at him, her eyes glossy, tears falling from them. "I… I remember."


End file.
